1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to side delivery, pull-type, wheel rake implements, and more particularly to a pull-type V-rake apparatus constructed by operatively connecting a right hand, side delivery, pull-type, wheel rake and a left hand, side delivery, pull-type, wheel rake.
2. Description of Prior Art
Side delivery, pull-type rake implements have been in use for a number of years for raking cut vegetation, such as hay or straw, into windrow so that a baler, stacker or the like, can pick up the windrow to form bales, stacks or the like. One of the most common types of side delivery rakes is commonly referred to as a wheel rake. A typical wheel rake has a plurality of wheels with evenly spaced tines extending radially outwardly therearound. These tined wheels are freely rotatable about a central axis and are disposed in an overlapping relationship with the adjacent tined wheels such that each tined wheel is disposed forwardly and to one side of the following adjacent wheel. The rake implement is disposed diagonally rearwardly to the forward direction of movement of the implement, such that as the rake implement is pulled forwardly by a prime mover, the tines of the tined wheels brush against the cut stalks or surface of the earth causing the tined wheels to rotate about their central axis. The cut vegetation lying on top of the cut stalks or surface of the earth is picked up by the rotating tines and thrown rearwardly to the following adjacent tined wheel until the cut vegetation is discharged by the last tined wheel, resulting a windrow of cut vegetation.
Farmers and ranchers in the upper Midwest and western United States, having large fields, use these side discharge, pull-type wheel rake implements extensively, and have increasing sought larger rakes to reduce the number of passes, time, and fuel needed to rake the cut vegetation into windrows. Additionally, farmers and ranchers wishing to bale hay or straw that is relatively light, also desire larger rakes in order to create windrows of sufficient size in the fewest number of passes to make baling the vegetation more cost effective.
Unfortunately, there is a practical size limit to these pull-type rakes. The rakes can only be made so long while still being able to be transported from field to field down roadways behind a tractor or other farm vehicle. Therefore, there is a need for a pull-type rake implement that can meet the needs of farmers and ranchers desiring larger rakes while at the same time being easy to transported from field to field.
V-rakes, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,631 issued to Kuehn have been designed to overcome some of these problems. The Kuehn V-rake is comprised of a left hand rake and a right hand rake operably connected such that the right side and the left side discharge the hay inwardly and rearwardly in the middle at the apparent vertex of the rakes to produce a single larger windrow as the V-rake traverses the field. The advantage of the V-rake is that it can cover a larger area than a single rake but yet is foldable for transport down a roadway. The Kuehn V-rake or the V-rake disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,197 issued to Allen incorporate a central transport frame to which is pivotally attached the left and right rake assemblies. This central transporting frame has a limiting effect on the size of the rake assemblies that it can support. Additionally, the use of a central transporting frame does not allow the individual rake assemblies to articulate independently when traversing uneven terrain resulting in the wheel rakes skipping over the cut vegetation. This inability of the rake assemblies to articulate independently is a major disadvantage of the prior art particularly as the length or size of the rake increases. For example, when each rake assembly is fixed to a central transport frame, the terrain under the rake assemblies in their operative field position may be higher or lower than the terrain under the central transport frame. If the terrain is lower under the extended rake assembly than the terrain under the central transport frame the rakes will skip over the cut vegetation.
Consequently, there is a need for a pull-type wheel rake apparatus which takes advantage of the more economical V-type rake and yet overcomes the current problems associated with the V-type rake with regard to size limitations, the inability of the extended rake assemblies to articulate independently of each other when traversing uneven terrain and the inability to fold to a narrow enough profile for easy transport behind a vehicle down a roadway.